"The potential strike by the United States against Syria, despite strong opposition from many countries and major political and religious leaders, including the pope, will result in more innocent victims and escalation, potentially spreading the conflict far beyond Syria’s borders," Putin wrote, warning of a potential regional backlash to the conflict.

The United States, led by the Obama administration, has threatened to "punish" the Syrian regime through a strike-campaign, accusing it of killing hundreds of citizens in a chemical weapons attack on 21 August.

Russia, Damascus' foremost ally, proposed that Syria hands over its chemical weapons stockpiles in order to avoid a military attack.

US Secretary of State John Kerry and his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov are due to meet in Geneva later on Thursday to discuss the proposal.

"A strike would increase violence and unleash a new wave of terrorism."

He reiterated Russia's opinion that the gas attack of 21 August was most likely perpetrated by Syrian rebel forces. "No one doubts that poison gas was used in Syria. But there is every reason to believe it was used not by the Syrian Army, but by opposition forces, to provoke intervention by their powerful foreign patrons, who would be siding with the fundamentalists."

Perhaps trying to compound his point, Putin also mentioned the threat that a strike on Syria might pose to Israel, America's greatest ally in the region.

Obama and Putin's relationship has been the frostiest between any two US and Russian presidents since the end of the Cold War. Amidst media reports that communication between the two countries was strained, Putin wrote: "My working and personal relationship with President Obama is marked by growing trust. I appreciate this. I carefully studied his address to the nation on Tuesday. And I would rather disagree with a case he made on American exceptionalism, stating that the United States’ policy is “what makes America different. It’s what makes us exceptional.” It is extremely dangerous to encourage people to see themselves as exceptional, whatever the motivation".